Xie Xinghan had now realized that Wang Yang had steered the conversation to this point, but she remained perfectly composed:
"The Zuo Commentary says, 'To take Xia Ji in now is to covet her beauty. Coveting beauty is lust, and lust incurs grave punishment.' Coveting beauty means loving beauty; loving beauty is lust, and lust is a grave offense deserving grave punishment!"
Wang Yang immediately seized on the flaw in her words:
"Not so. In his account of the Biography of the Lisao, the King of Huainan said that the Airs of the States loves beauty without being lustful, and the Lesser Odes voices resentment and criticism without descending into disorder. Thus, loving beauty is not necessarily lust."
"Excellent!" Zong Ce slapped his thigh and cheered excitedly.
Xie Xinghan had been thwarted. After a pause, she said:
"'King Hui of Liang, Part II' in Mencius says, 'I have a weakness: I am fond of beauty.' Loving beauty is a weakness, an illness!"
Wang Yang smiled faintly:
"'Wan Zhang, Part I' in Mencius says, 'Beauty is what people desire,' and 'Once he knows the desire for beauty, he longs for a young and lovely woman.'"
Xie Xinghan's tone grew urgent:
"The 'Record of the Dykes' in the Book of Rites says, 'Thus the gentleman keeps his distance from beauty, setting a standard for the people.' If beauty may be loved, why keep away from it?"
Wang Yang replied unhurriedly:
"Whatever those above favor, those below will pursue to excess. The King of Chu loved slender waists, and many palace women starved to death. There is nothing wrong with a slender waist, of course, but the King of Chu should not have favored it-"
At this point, his gaze happened to fall on Xie Xinghan's graceful waist, so slender a hand could